"There is one point," said Brown, "upon which I would like to hear further: it is the restoration, before mentioned. If these things are true, then the gospel was not upon the earth at the time of Joseph Smith's birth, and, as you will admit, the Church was organized in the days of Christ and left on the earth when He ascended on high: the question then arises, how the Gospel was it taken from the earth?"
"Let me give you another quotation from the Bible on the subject," said the Elder. "'From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence; and the violent take it by force.' (Matthew xi: 12.) By parity of reasoning where would our own government be if subjected to similar treatment? Suppose, that instead of Christ being crucified, it were the President, that the Cabinet instead of the Apostles were murdered, the Congress and not the Seventies were scattered to the four winds, and our citizens were subjected to the fate of the Saints of old in being driven beneath the earth—what would then remain of our nation? It exists now proudly and gloriously, and has existed for more than a century, but such treatment would leave it to future generations as only an incident in history that is, it came, it nourished and it passed away, just as did the true religion in the early days; and it might again, also like the true religion, be restored, even as the Roman Empire rose, fell and rose again."
"I understand."
"If you have no objections, I would like to read to you the words of a wise man on this subject, which will illustrate my meaning in a much clearer way than it is possible for me to express it myself. The quotation is not long and you will all especially my legal friend—see the force of his argument. He uses these words:
"'Now, in order to come at this subject in plainness, let us examine the constitution of earthly governments in regard to the authority and laws of adoption. We will say, for instance, the President of the United States writes a commission to A. B., duly authorizing him to act in some office in the government, and daring his administration, two gentlemen from Europe come to reside in this country, and being strangers and foreigners wishing to become citizens, they go before A. B., and he administers the oath of allegiance in due form, and certifies the same, and this constitutes them legal citizens, entitled to the privileges of those who are citizens or subjects by birth. After these things A. B. is taken away by death, and C. D., in looking over his papers happens to find the commission given to A. B., and applying it to his own use, assumes the vacant office; meantime, two foreigners arrive and apply for citizenship, and being informed by persons ignorant of the affairs of government that C. D. could administer the laws of adoption, they submit to be administered unto by C. D., without once examining his authority; C. D. certifies of their citizenship, and they suppose they have been legally adopted, the same as the others, and are entitled to the privileges of citizenship. But, by and by, their citizenship is called into question, and they produce the certificates of C. D.; the President inquires, 'Who is C. D.? I never gave him a commission to act in any office, I know him not and you are strangers and foreigners to the commonwealth, until you go before the legally appointed successor of A. B., or some other of like authority, who has a commission from the President direct in his own name.' In the meantime C. D. is taken and punished according to law, for practicing imposition, and usurping authority which was never conferred upon him. And so it is with the kingdom of God. The Lord authorized the Apostles and others, by direct revelation, and by the spirit of prophecy, to preach and baptize, and build up His church and kingdom; but after awhile they died, and a long time passed away; men reading over their commission, where it says to the eleven Apostles, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,' etc., have had the presumption to apply these sayings as their authority, and, without any other commission, have gone forth professing to preach the gospel, and baptize, and build up the church and kingdom of God; but those whom they baptize never receive the same blessings and gifts which characterized a Saint, or citizen of the kingdom, in the days of the Apostles. Why? Because they are yet foreigners and strangers, for the commission given to the Apostles never commissioned any other man to act in their stead. This was a prerogative the Lord preserved unto Himself. No man has a right to take this ministry upon himself, but he that is called by revelation, and duly qualified to act in his calling by the Holy Ghost."
"You give us abundance of authority, as well as your own testimony and evidence," said the doctor. "You have developed a wide and profound subject for our consideration, and for one I regret that we cannot at once hear you out, that is, go to the end of the subject with you, and know all that you are in possession of in regard to it. Right or wrong, one thing is plainly manifest—that you convey a philosophy each part of which is so reasonable, consistent and harmonious with every other part, and with the ground-work itself, that he who doubts must question himself as to why he doubts. And now, let me ask, will it not be practicable for you to remain another day?"
"While it would give me, personally, the greatest pleasure to do so, it must be remembered that I am not performing this work for my own individual gratification. The field is a broad one, and just think how small a portion of it I would be able to cover should I give way to my present inclinations and remain unduly long in places where everything is so pleasant as here. No, I must go, but hope to return to this region again."
"Well, of course you understand your own affairs best, but you are making such headway here that I hoped it might be desirable for you to continue to the end."
"So it would but for the reasons stated. My train departs at 11 o'clock tomorrow, and I must fill the appointments I have made."
THAT MORMON AGAIN.
Some months had passed away since the Elder took his departure from Westminster, and during this time his name had been on everybody's lips, both for good and evil. The principles advanced by him had taken such root in the minds of many that it seemed impossible for them to lay the doctrine aside. Among this class were the Marshalls, who, by the way, had increased their family by the addition of a son-in-law, their daughter Claire having, as was anticipated, changed her name from Marshall to Sutherland.
Herbert Sutherland was a rising young man of Westminster, well and favorably known to most of the people. He had for several years been very much attached to Miss Marshall, and, as the love was mutual, of course no one appeared surprised in the least when the wedding took place. Joy, and promise of an unclouded life, seemed to be the portion of the young couple.
Breakfast had been waiting for over an hour for Mr. Marshall, and his good wife had become almost impatient when the gate opened and he entered, saying to his wife, "You must overlook this delay, as I have been detained at the station. While passing, I noticed a familiar friend and could not resist the temptation of spending with him the forty minutes given for transferring baggage, even when aware that the detention kept you and the breakfast waiting."
"Well I declare," said Mrs. Marshall, "you must have met a very esteemed friend indeed, to have remained so long at the expense of so many."
"Who was it, papa?" remarked Claire; "it's no use asking us to guess, for you know we are not Yankees enough for that."
"One would imagine you had been in the presence of a number of friends," said Mr. Sutherland, "judging from the pleased expression on your face."
"Well, why not tell us who it was?" said Mrs. Marshall.
"It was one whose visit with us was very short, but whose name has been mentioned since scores of times," Mr. Marshall answered; "and now we will go to the dining room, and, in the meantime, I will tell you what my conversation was with Mr. Charles Durant, of Salt Lake City, our Mormon friend.
"I had learned that he promised while here to visit you again," remarked Mr. Sutherland, "and is it possible, he has been so near and yet failed to keep his promise? I did not think this of Mr. Durant, for, while I have not had the pleasure of his acquaintance, I had formed a very good opinion of him from remarks made by others, and was in hopes of seeing him myself some day."
"And so you shall," answered Mr. Marshall, "I tell you he has not forgotten. He is on his way home, it is true, but has taken a trip up the country for a few days, and intends visiting us when he returns."
"That's better," said Sutherland; "I do not wish to miss what you people claimed was a treat to you."
With this the family adjourned to the dining room, where Mr. Marshall acquainted them with all the facts received from Mr. Durant. He had performed his work to the entire satisfaction of the president of the Southern States Mission, and had been given a leave of absence to return home; but he had received word whileen routethat some Elders had been terribly beaten by a band of fanatics. He was instructed to pay his fellow laborers a visit, and administer to their wants before continuing his homeward journey. While he had in view a pleasant visit with the Marshalls, he could not think of enjoying the same before performing a duty to the brethren in distress. He would be with the Marshalls in a day or two and would then remain some days in their company.
"He has promised," said Mr. Marshall, "to answer all the questions we have been accumulating for him, and will be pleased indeed to have as many of our neighbors spend the evening with him as we are willing to invite."
"Exactly what Herbert has been wishing for," exclaimed Claire, "knowing so well that Mr. Durant and the Mormon gospel doctrines have made a deep impression on us, he has been very anxious to converse with this missionary."
"Yes," answered Sutherland, "if all I have heard from you is correct, then I am surprised that this peculiar people are despised to such an extent. The principles you have explained to me, as received from him, are logical and good, and Mr. Brown tells me they have had such an influence with him, that nothing short of a visit to Salt Lake City will satisfy the longing he has to study the Mormon question as he desires; and as for Claire, why she has gone over her Bible and marked the passages quoted by the Elder, until the Sacred Book looks like a Chinese record."
"And better than that," exclaimed his young wife, "I have committed the most of them to memory, and should he desire an assistant, I can surprise not only him but all of you with my knowledge of those principles. I realize how much happiness God has given me in this world, and how much I should endeavor to please Him, and have therefore devoted more time to reading His word than ever before, and, strange to say, I have found passages quoted by Mr. Durant whenever I have read, and the verses marked in my Bible seem to lead to something else that he has said. His testimony is so deeply rooted in my heart that I almost believe his people will yet be my people, and his faith will be my faith."
"Why, Claire," said her mother, "if you are not careful, you will be a Mormon before you are aware."
"And should you become one," said her husband, "think of your many friends, and the opinions they will have of you."
"Well, I haven't joined the Mormons yet," said Claire; "but if I do, it will be because I believe them to be right; and if I have your good will, Herbert, and that of papa and mamma, what care I for the opinions of others?"
"Well said," answered Herbert, with a smile; "but we will see if we cannot 'corner' your missionary, get him into an argumentative jail, if you please, from which it will be difficult or impossible for him to escape. Should he be able to make the gospel he teaches as plain and as reasonable as the doctrines that are set forth in the tracts which he left here, I can see no reason why any earnest, sincere searcher after knowledge cannot adopt that gospel as a living truth."
It was agreed, thereupon, that when the promised telegram from Durant should be received, giving the date of his arrival, the neighbors were to be invited, and the large dining room would be turned into an informal meeting place where the principles of the gospel, as believed in by the Mormons, could be further explained. This was accordingly done.
THE MISSIONARY'S RETURN.
Elder Charles Durant returned to Westminster just ten days after the time of his meeting with Mr. Marshall, at the station. He was heartily welcomed by the family, and being comfortably seated at the dinner table, the conversation naturally drifted to a detailed account of his experience since his first visit. His labors had been divided somewhat in two or three different states. He had met with many kinds of people, and with a variety of treatments, since leaving the home of the Marshalls; he made many friends as well as a few enemies, but had endeavored to perform his work in a way to meet the approbation of that Being who had commissioned him to spread His word among the children of men. Having performed his work to the satisfaction of those under whom he labored, he was, as previously stated, released therefrom, for a time at least, and had commenced his journey towards the land of his birth, where dwelt his loved ones, when the telegram reached him from the president of the Mission to the effect that several Elders had been mobbed in a neighboring county, and asking that he visit his brethren on his way home, as stated before.
After the meal, the family adjourned to the sitting room when the missionary was requested to give an account of the mobbing of the Elders whom he had just visited.
He said that they had been laboring for several months holding meetings wherever they could get an opportunity, and had succeeded in obtaining the permission of the trustees to hold their meetings in a schoolhouse they being solicited to hold religious services by the people, and explain the gospel to them.
A family named Brooks expressed a desire to be baptized, and the Elders had consented to perform the ordinance on a fixed day, according to their custom, and in conformity with the plan of salvation as pointed out by Christ, the early Apostles, and by John the Baptist who baptized openly in the river Jordan, and near "Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there."
At the appointed time the ordinance was performed, a number of persons being present who came for the purpose of sneering at the rite, and making sport of its sacredness, which they did, but which the Elders paid only little attention to, being accustomed to the jeers of the wicked. On the same evening there was a pleasant association at the residence of the newly-baptized family, the time being spent in singing sacred songs, and in conversation. Retiring at 9 o'clock, leaving their bedroom door open owing to the heat, they were at 11 o'clock rudely awakened, ordered to get up, to accompany a mob of about fifteen men to the woods.
"You are a pretty-looking lot of fellows," said one of the Elders as he counted them, and glanced at their masked faces.
"What do you consider the Savior would think of your mission, if He were here? Why do you disturb the slumbers of the peaceful citizens at night, thus hideously masked? If we have transgressed any law, we are amenable; take us before your magistrates, and we will answer to any charge you may prefer."
"We don't want you to preach any more in this locality," said one of the masked men.
"Then the best way to stop us is to induce the people to cease attending our meetings."
At this juncture the inmates of the house were alarmed, and Mr. B. came in, taking a glance at each of the disturbers.
A voice on the outside was heard to cry: "Captain! captain! enough said, enough said."
The mob then withdrew, and the Elders retired again, still leaving the door unlocked. They remained there the following day, but subsequently spent some time visiting friends in other districts. In the course of two weeks they returned to the same place. On their way thither, there were a few who hurled insults at them, but to this they paid no attention. They arrived at Mr. Brooks' house at 5 o'clock in the evening where they met companions, and where the time was spent in speaking of the gospel, singing hymns, and in conversing upon a variety of subjects concerning Utah and her people. No signs of disturbance appeared, save an occasional ominous bark of the house dog.
The Elders retired with sweet recollections of home, to be roughly awakened at 2 o'clock at night, by the harsh cry of "Surrender." They were surrounded by a horde of ruffians, armed with guns, pistols and clubs; and in the most blasphemous language, were ordered to get up, the mobbers in the meantime brandishing their weapons in the faces of the Elders. Not obeying orders as rapidly as the mob wished them to, they were each (there being four of them), seized by two of the cowards, one on either side, dragged from their beds in an inhuman manner, and marched along the road, an eighth of a mile, dressed only in their thin summer night-clothing. Resistance was impossible, and the attempt of the proprietor of the house to assist them was met with curses, a blow across the forehead, with the exclamation: "If you show your head out of this house before 6 o'clock tomorrow morning, we will kill you."
The train marched on, the vilest curses and the blackest oaths being uttered against them that mortals can express. There was no charge preferred against them, and they said: "If we have broken any law, take us before the courts," but the only reply was:
"We are law enough for you."
What was to be their fate, they knew not, until the mob began cutting and trimming limbs of trees from four to six feet long, having ugly knots. Soon the Elders were ordered to bend over a fallen log about two feet through, when their doom was made plain to them. They were terribly whipped, receiving lash after lash upon their backs without a question being asked, or an opportunity being afforded to appeal from this inhuman treatment. Occasionally they raise to say a word, but are immediately thrust down again by some of the mob using pistols or clubs. In this way three received severe scalp wounds. The woods resound with the lashes and the groans of the tortured; thirty-five stripes have been laid upon them, when they are requested to leave the country. Too faint to comply, their hesitancy is construed as a refusal, and they are once more belabored with redoubled fury, causing them to cringe beneath the cruel beech-limbs wielded by a sturdy fiend weighing over two-hundred pounds. Fifty stripes each, they received, and yet they had injured no man! How terrible! but it was all for the sake of the gospel. Finally after such torture, they were released, upon promising to leave the country the next day.
They returned to their friend and brother! but in what a lacerated condition. They found him sitting in the door bleeding from his wounds. They dressed each other's wounds as best they could, then lay down in troubled rest till morning, when they departed to the place where Elder Durant met them, perhaps never to return.
While rehearsing not only his own experience but that of his wounded brothers, no one listened with more marked attention than Claire's husband. From the moment he was introduced to Durant, at the depot, they became very much attached to each other, and, as expressed by Mr. Sutherland, it seemed as if they had always been acquainted.
Later, while these two were conversing upon the veranda, Mr. Sutherland interrupted the Elder by asking: "How do you account for the peculiar feelings attending the formation of new friendship, Mr. Durant? Have you not noticed that upon many occasions when introduced to a person, you feel as well acquainted as if you had known him for years?"
"Yes," replied Elder Durant, "I have noticed it often, and have frequently wondered if occasions where such feelings are manifested were really the beginning of acquaintance."
"I have certainly been very much impressed with this sensation at times when I have been absolutely certain of its being the first meeting," replied Sutherland; "for instance, to be frank, it is the case with you. I am certain beyond question that you and I have never met previous to this day, and yet I followed you while giving the account of your labors and the troubles of your brethren, with as much interest as if you were my own brother; and I have felt all day long that we have always been acquainted."
"Mr. Sutherland," said the Elder, "who knows but before now we have been better acquainted than you are with any gentleman in your village, and that we have merely forgotten our former associations together?"
"I do not understand your meaning," said Sutherland, "I am certain we have never seen each other before, and consequently I cannot comprehend your idea when you intimate that perhaps we have been well acquainted. You came from the West, while I have always lived here, where you have never dwelt except during your former visit to Mr. Marshall's home, and how, therefore, can it be possible for us ever to have met before?
"I do not claim for an instant that such is the case, Mr. Sutherland, but the idea afforded me such a splendid chance to open a conversation upon a principle believed in by my people, that I could not resist the opportunity of saying what I did, and, as you say you are desirous of learning all you can about our views upon religious principles, you, yourself, gave me a thought, serving as a text, for dwelling upon one of the most important of these."
"If that is the case, I am very glad. What is the principle?"
"You know that all Christians believe that after death there is life?"
"Of course, or why should they take the pains to prepare for death? But what has that to do with having met you before?"
"Neither that nor what I am going to say has anything whatever to do with it, but, Mr. Sutherland, if it is reasonable for you and me to believe we shall live after death, why should it be unreasonable for us also to believe that our spirits existed before the birth of our earthly tabernacles? There is certainly something connected with the intelligence of man that should appeal to us as if to say that the spirit is older than the body, and emanated from a more exalted place than this earth of ours."
"Why, Mr. Durant," exclaimed Sutherland in astonishment, "I never heard such a doctrine as that."
"Let me ask, have you ever read the Bible to any great extent?"
"Yes, I have always been a lover of the Divine Record, and have spent many hours in its perusal."
"I am glad to hear this, and I think, as we proceed, you may change your mind regarding never having heard such a doctrine as pre-existence. You will perhaps admit that while reading, you failed to understand fully what you read. As an introduction to this grand and glorious principle, let me read a beautiful poem I have here from the pen of one of the gifted women of Utah; she is dead now, and the intelligent spirit, sent from God to dwell in her earthly tabernacle, has been recalled by the Being who sent it, or, as the Bible declares, 'has returned to God who gave it.' Her name was Eliza B. Snow Smith, and that name, as well as this poem, will live while time endures:"
"O my Father, thou that dwellestIn the high and glorious place!When shall I regain thy presence,And again behold thy face?In thy holy habitation,Did my spirit once reside?In my first, primeval childhood,Was I nurtured near thy side?"For a wise and glorious purposeThou hast placed me here on earth,And withheld the recollectionOf my former friends and birth;Yet oft-times a secret somethingWhispered, You're a stranger here;And I felt that I had wanderedFrom a more exalted sphere."I had learned to call thee Father,Through thy Spirit from on high;But, until the Key of KnowledgeWas restored, I knew not why.In the heavens are parents single?No; the thought makes reason stare!Truth is reason; truth eternalTells me, I've a mother there."When I leave this frail existence,When I lay this mortal by,Father, mother, may I meet youIn your royal court on high?Then, at length, when I've completedAll you sent me forth to do,With your mutual approbationLet me come and dwell with you."
"O my Father, thou that dwellestIn the high and glorious place!When shall I regain thy presence,And again behold thy face?In thy holy habitation,Did my spirit once reside?In my first, primeval childhood,Was I nurtured near thy side?
"For a wise and glorious purposeThou hast placed me here on earth,And withheld the recollectionOf my former friends and birth;Yet oft-times a secret somethingWhispered, You're a stranger here;And I felt that I had wanderedFrom a more exalted sphere.
"I had learned to call thee Father,Through thy Spirit from on high;But, until the Key of KnowledgeWas restored, I knew not why.In the heavens are parents single?No; the thought makes reason stare!Truth is reason; truth eternalTells me, I've a mother there.
"When I leave this frail existence,When I lay this mortal by,Father, mother, may I meet youIn your royal court on high?Then, at length, when I've completedAll you sent me forth to do,With your mutual approbationLet me come and dwell with you."
"That is one of the most beautiful compositions I have ever listened to, Mr. Durant. The words appear to carry a strange conviction with them. Can it be true? and if so, are we here as school children, sent by exalted parents, to become acquainted with sorrow in order to understand happiness?"
"Either this is the case, or else our faith in a hereafter is a myth. You prove to me that our birth is the commencement of the intelligence of man, and you also convince me that death is its end. But we have enough given in the scriptures to convince us that birth is not the beginning, and likewise that death is not the end. Christ said He came forth from the Father (John xvi: 28), and it was His prayer that the glory which He had before coming would be His when He returned. (John xvii: 5.) In His teachings to His Apostles He must have familiarized them with this exalted principle of pre-existence, for upon one occasion they came to Him with a question, concerning a blind man: 'Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' (John ix: 2.) Surely had this been a foolish question, Christ would have corrected them, but He answered them in a manner leading us to understand that it was a principle firmly believed in by them all; and comprehending this, as certainly they did, they, more than our generation, could intelligently lisp the prayer taught them by the Master: 'Our Father who art in heaven.' Our Divine Record says that God is the Father of the spirits of all flesh (Num. xvi: 22), in whose hand is the soul of every living thing (Job xii: 10); and we find in it that when death comes, the spirit of man will return to God who gave it. (Eccl. xii: 7.) Job was asked by the Lord where he was when the foundation of the earth was laid (Job. xxxviii: 3-7), and the Almighty declared He not only knew but ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet before his earthly birth. (Jer. i: 5.) From these passages, and many others that might be cited, it should be very easy for Christians to understand that there is a natural and a spiritual body." (I. Cor. xv: 44.)
"Mr. Durant," said Sutherland, "whether this principle is true or otherwise, it cannot be gainsaid that you have scripture to support it."
"Why should we not have, Mr. Sutherland? It is truth, and it is only natural that the truth should appear reasonable. As quoted, God asks Job: 'Who laid the corner stones of this earth, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?' (Job xxxviii: 7.) Now I sincerely believe that we were there, that we helped to compose that large congregation of sons of God, and that wedidshout for joy at beholding the time approaching when we also would have the privilege of visiting an earth where our Father would give us an opportunity to become possessed of bodies which should eventually be eternal abiding places for our spirits; that when we came to this school we should have our judgments taken away, or, in other words, that all recollection of our former existence should be withdrawn, in order that we might be able to use the greatest gift of all, which is 'free agency,' to do good or evil and become to a certain extent Gods in embryo, and then when we returned home from this school our Father could reward us, his children, according to our works."
"Your explanation carries with it conviction. I have been very much interested and desire to talk further with you on this subject, but fear I am doing you an injustice by requiring you to speak so much. I must not forget that the neighbors are coming in tonight, and I should therefore not weary you."
"You need not fear, I assure you: I have been talking now upon these principles for two years; it is my mission, and I am well pleased to find people who are willing to hear."
"I am very anxious to listen, I can assure you," replied Mr. Sutherland. "Let us walk through the village, you can view our improvements, and perhaps shake hands with many whom you met when here before; we might then return in time for supper, and rest awhile before our evening chat."
This proposition was agreed to, and taking their hats, the two men went out. The first person met on the ramble was our medical friend, who, learning of Mr. Durant's intended return, was hastening to the Marshall residence to welcome him. The greeting which the young missionary received from his true and lasting friend was unaffected and sincere, meaning more than language can express. Questions and answers regarding the missionary's trip, and matters, which to the general reader would amount to mere commonplace, were exchanged by the conversation, and must have been interesting to them, for it was continued during the whole of what proved a very long walk.
"I begin to feel quite like a resident here," said the Elder, "though, perhaps, I ought to say that my acquaintance is not the only cause for that feeling, for I try to be at ease wherever I go."
"And succeed I should say. If your experience elsewhere has been anything like that at Westminster."
"Yes, indeed, and in so doing I find no little comfort in the words of an eminent man who is classed as a 'pagan,' an agnostic, and so on, but who, I verily believe, was as much a Christian at heart as most of us certainly much more so than many who engage in the promulgation of Christianity as a profession: 'The world is my home, and humanity my kindred.'"
By this time they had reached the home of Mr. Marshall, and after supper, preparations were made for the evening gathering.
A PLEASANT INTERVIEW.
In the evening Elder Durant not only had the pleasure of meeting all his old friends of the previous visit, but was honored with the presence of a large number of persons whom he had not seen before. Some of them had attended the meeting he held in the Town Hall on his first visit, while others had only heard of him through the Marshalls.
When all were comfortably seated in the large dining room, Mr. Sutherland by way of introducing the missionary to his new friends, said:
"My friends and neighbors, we have assembled here this evening for the purpose of listening to Mr. Durant on the religious faith of a people who claim to have the keys of a new dispensation committed to them. If their claim is correct, then it is of the utmost importance to the whole human race. If God has indeed spoken from the heavens, it is the duty of His children to listen; on the other hand, if this claim of the Mormons be founded on a myth, then it is our duty to do all in our power to disprove their declarations, and deny that they have any divine commission whatever to proclaim the principles of salvation. You who have the privilege of listening to him will know whether his arguments are sound and scriptural, or otherwise; and can therefore exercise the right, which you all have, of judging for yourselves. We will, therefore, ask our friend from the valleys of the West to give us, in as few words as possible, an outline of what Mormonism teaches, after which all may act with the utmost freedom in asking questions upon anything the gentleman may say, or upon any principle believed in by his people. Now, Mr. Durant, we are anxious to hear you, and you will find us attentive listeners."
The Elder arose and in a few well-chosen words expressed his thanks to the Marshalls for their kindness, as well as to Mr. Sutherland, and all his friends who had taken an interest in him. He was pleased to answer questions pertaining to his faith, and with all sincerity bore testimony that the Mormons were less understood by the people of this and other nations than any other sect in Christendom. Their mission is one of "peace on earth and good will to man," not withstanding they had been represented as having objects quite the reverse.
Their faith teaches the reason why man is here in this probation; whence man came, and whither he goes, after his departure by death. It teaches that the destiny of man is mighty, that his exaltation is to be great; that what man is, God once was; that what God is, man can be.
"Mormonism teaches men to believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, who bears record of them forever.
"As a people, we believe that all mankind, through the transgression of our first parents, were brought under the curse and penalty for transgression; but that through the atoning sacrifice, sufferings, and death of Jesus Christ, all are to be redeemed from any effects of original transgression; that 'as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men unto condemnation; even so, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto the justification of life.' (Rom. v: 18.)
"We believe that little children are innocent, and not under transgression; that they are incapable of obeying any law, not understanding good or evil; and Jesus says, 'Of such are the kingdom of heaven;' but then, when they arrive at the years of maturity, and know good from evil, and are capable of obeying or disobeying law; if they then transgress, they will be condemned for breaking a known law.
"We believe that no man will be condemned for not obeying a law that he does not know; and that consequently millions of the human family who have never heard the gospel, are more blessed than those who have had that privilege, and have refused to accept it; that mankind will be judged according to the deeds done in the body.
"We believe in the sufferings, death and atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and in His resurrection and ascension on high, and in the Holy Ghost, which is given to all who obey the gospel.
"We believe, first, it is necessary to have faith in God, and that, next, it is necessary to repent of our sins to confess and to turn away from them, and make restitution to all whom we have injured, as far as it is in our power.
"We believe that the third necessity is to be baptized by immersion in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 'for remission of sins,' and that this ordinance must be performed by one having authority, or otherwise it is of no avail.
"The fourth is, to receive the laying on of hands, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the gift of the Holy Ghost; and this ordinance must also be administered by the Apostles or the Elders, whom the Lord Jesus has called to lay on hands, nor then is it of any advantage except to those persons who have complied with the before-named three conditions.
"We believe that the Holy Ghost is the same now, as it was in the apostolic days, and that when a church is organized, it is its privilege to have all the gifts, powers and blessings which flow from the Holy Spirit:
"'Such, for instance, as the gifts of revelation, prophecy, visions, the ministry of angels, healing the sick by the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus, the working of miracles, and, in short, all the gifts mentioned in the scriptures, or enjoyed by the ancient Saints.' We believe that inspired apostles and prophets, together with all the officers as mentioned in the New Testament, are necessary in the Church in these days.
"We believe that there has been a general and awful apostasy from the religion of the New Testament, so that all the known world have been left for centuries without the church of Christ among them; without a priesthood authorized of God to administer ordinances; that every one of the churches has perverted the gospel, some in one way and some in another. For instance, almost every church has ignored the doctrine of 'immersion for the remission of sins.' Those few who have practiced it have abolished the ordinance of the 'laying on of hands' upon baptized believers for the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Again the few who have practiced the last ordinance have perverted the first, or have denied the ancient gifts, powers and blessings which flow from the Holy Spirit, or have said to the inspired apostles and prophets, we have no need of you in the body. Those few, again, who have believed in, and contended for, the miraculous gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit, have perverted the ordinances. Thus all the churches preach false doctrines and distort the gospel, and instead of having authority from God to administer its ordinances, they are under the curse of God for corrupting it. Paul says (Gal. i: 8), 'Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.'
"We believe that there are a few sincere, honest and humble persons who are striving to do according to the best of their understanding, but, in many respects, they err in doctrine because of false teachers and the precepts of men, and that they will receive the fullness of the gospel with gladness as soon as they hear it."
"We believe in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and in living and continued revelation; but we also believe that no new revelation will contradict the old.
"The gospel in the Book of Mormon is the same as that in the New Testament, so that no one who reads it can misunderstand its principles. It has been revealed by the angel to be preached as a witness to all nations, first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews, then cometh the downfall of Babylon. Thus fulfilling the vision of John, which he beheld on the Isle of Patmos, (Rev. xiv: 6, 7, 8), 'And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made the heaven and earth, and the sea and the fountains of water.' And there followed another angel saying, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornications.'
"Many revelations and prophecies have been given to this Church since its rise, which have been printed and sent forth to the world. These also contain the gospel in great plainness, and instructions of infinite importance to the Saints. They also unfold the great events that await this generation, the terrible judgments to be poured forth upon the wicked, and the blessings and glories to be given to the righteous. We believe God will continue to give revelations by visions, by the ministry of angels, and by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, until the Saints are guided into all truth.
"We believe that wherever the people enjoy the religion of the New Testament, there they enjoy visions, revelations, the ministry of angels, etc. And that wherever these blessings cease to be enjoyed, there they also cease to enjoy the religion of the New Testament.
"We believe that God has established His church in order to prepare a people for His second coming in the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory; and that then the Saints that are asleep in their graves will be raised and reign with Him on earth a thousand years.
"We believe that great judgments await the earth on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants, and that when the gospel shall have been sufficiently proclaimed, if they reject it they will be destroyed; that plagues, pestilence and famine will be multiplied upon them; that thrones will be cast down, empires overthrown, and nations destroyed; that when the Spirit of God ceases to restrain the people, the world will be full of blood, carnage and desolation; that peace will be taken from the earth and from among all people, religious and irreligious. It shall be as with the people, so with the priest, etc.
"We believe that the Lord will gather His people from among all nations unto a land of peace, and give them pastors after His own heart, who shall feed them with knowledge and understanding, and they shall be the only people upon the earth that shall not be at war with one another.
"We believe that the Ten Tribes of Israel, with the dispersed of Judah, shall soon be restored to their own lands, according to the covenants which God made with their ancient fathers, and that when this great work of restitution shall take place, the power of God shall be made manifest in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds, far exceeding anything that took place in the exodus from Egypt. Jerusalem will be rebuilt, together with the glorious temple, and the Lord shall visit His Saints in Zion. In that day the name of the Lord shall become great unto the ends of the earth, and all nations shall serve and obey Him, for the wicked shall have perished out of the earth.
"We believe in all principles of truth that have been revealed; in all that are now being revealed, and are prepared to receive all that God will reveal.
"We believe that the gospel, now being preached by the Latter-day Saints, is to call the honest in heart out of Babylon, that they partake not of her sins nor receive of her plagues.
"We believe in morality, chastity, purity, virtue and honesty, and wish to promote the happiness of our fellow-men."
The Elder's words were listened to with marked attention. He expressed a willingness to answer questions, and a desire to have as many asked, concerning the religious principles believed in by his people, as the listeners were pleased to propound.
"Mr. Durant," said Sutherland, when the former was seated, "I have not only listened to all you have said with the greatest interest, but have taken pleasure in reading the tracts left while on your former visit, and whether your faith is correct or otherwise, it will be a difficult task to disprove any of your arguments by the Sacred Record. I wish to ask you a few questions regarding some of the principles you have not touched upon, and which I understand to be a part of your faith. I am informed that you believe in a literal resurrection of the body? Is this correct?"
"Certainly," answered the Elder promptly. "How could we lay any claim whatever to a Christian belief in the resurrection unless we believed in a literal resurrection?"
"Well you certainly would not be compelled to believe in a literal resurrection in order to lay claim to having a Christian belief in that principle, for all Christians are surely not believers in it."
"All true Christians must follow Christ's teachings regarding this principle as well as all others, or else how can they be considered true Christians? Christ is the resurrection and the life. (John xi: 25.) He was also the first fruits of the resurrection. (Acts xxvi: 23.) He, therefore, is our great pattern. We know He was put to death (Matt. xxvii: 50); that His body was laid in the tomb (Matt. xxvii: 60); that when His friends visited that tomb the body was gone; that an angel declared that the body had been resurrected (Matt. xxviii: 6); that He appeared to His apostles with the body which had been crucified, even bearing the prints of the cruel nails in His hands, and the marks of the spear in His side, and to satisfy Thomas, He asked to be handled that no mistake might be made regarding its being a literal resurrection of the same body He had before the crucifixion (John xx: 27, 28). This was the resurrection of our Master, and inasmuch as He has commanded us to follow Him, why should ours not be the same?"
"But you will admit that if Christianity is true and Christ is really the Savior, that there is a great difference between His resurrection and that of those who have died since. His body had only just been interred; there had not been sufficient time for it to decay in the grave, and He was God Himself, while the bodies of others decay, and are scattered, in some cases at least, to the four winds," answered Brown.
"How about the statement regarding the resurrection of others, who, the scriptures declare, came forth from their graves at the time of Christ's resurrection? (Matt. xxvii: 52.) They certainly must have slumbered for a long time."
"I cannot understand," said Brown "how it could be possible for a literal resurrection of the body to occur after decay had taken place, and the body had returned as dust to the earth."
"Mr. Brown," the Elder said, "you will candidly admit that there are many things now accepted as truths which at one time seemed to you incomprehensible?"
"No doubt, I do," answered Brown.
"Yes, you do, most decidedly: For instance, when you first learned of the wonders of the telephone, you could scarcely credit them; when you were informed that you could converse with a friend who stood miles away, you not only doubted, but perhaps disbelieved, yet you doubt no longer, for your eyes have seen, and your ears have heard. Is not this true?"
"It is; what the eye has seen or the ear has heard, one must certainly believe. But is not that a vastly different proposition?"
"Not at all; you are only less familiar with the methods or principles upon which the resurrection depends, that is all. When we have more of the intelligence of heaven, and can understand more regarding the great principle by which the resurrection is brought about, it will appear simple enough. God permits a ray of intelligence to come from heaven; it reaches the mind of man, it gives us knowledge of the telegraph, by which our messages flash from nation to nation in the twinkling of an eye, and opens to our understanding many other wonders of modern science. We may not understand fully how it is done, but we know it is accomplished, and we therefore believe what we once disbelieved.
"Another ray reaches us, and we have an understanding of the telephone, the phonograph, the electric cars; and through the effects of these discoveries, we open our eyes in wonderment! Yet these flashes of intelligence are nothing compared with the mighty fire of wisdom in the heavens from whence these originate. They may be new to us, but are thoroughly understood by Him who sent them. They are all gifts from the Father of our spirits, and only small gifts at that, compared with what He has in store for us."
"How can you imagine for an instant," exclaimed Mr. Sutherland, "that it can be possible for all the particles of our bodies to be gathered together again after they have been scattered?"
"I do not, and cannot pretend to, answer this question. It will require more intelligence than I have, to answer it. But this I firmly believe; that no particle, that is, none of the component parts, of my body will ever go to make up the body of anything else, except perhaps for a time, and that it matters not whether my body be burned or permitted to decay and return to mother earth, every particle will be collected and brought together again, at the time of the resurrection which will be literal in every sense of the word. Let me relate a little anecdote which illustrates my position.
"A person had received, as a birthday gift, a beautiful silver cup from a friend. This cup was prized very much, not only on account of its beauty, but because of the love the receiver had for the giver. In a short time the one making this present was called away, the cold hand of death was laid upon him.
"Then the cup increased a hundred fold in value to the owner, and nothing could influence him to part from it. Years afterward, the owner of the present carried it to the place where he was employed, for the purpose of exhibiting it to a fellow workman. During the day, in passing the shelf where it rested while he was engaged in moving some valuable goods, he carelessly knocked the cup from the shelf, and it fell into a vessel of fluid. Thinking at the moment that the vessel contained nothing but water, the owner waited until his arms were released from the valuable load they contained, before seeking to remove the cup from the place into which it had fallen. When he returned, he found, to his sorrow, that his cup had disappeared. Upon investigation, imagine his sorrow, when he discovered that the vessel contained nitric acid instead of water, and that the cup had been eaten up by the fluid. He thought of how he had valued that keepsake, how much he revered the memory of the giver, and how foolish he was to bring the prize from his home that morning. At this moment, his employer happened along, and noticing his grief enquired for the cause. After listening to the poor man's story, and learning that the cup was made in a neighboring town, he rather startled the sorrowing man with this remark: 'Don't feel bad, my man, I promise, you shall again have your cup.'
"The workingman, thinking his words meant that he should receive the amount of its real value, or another cup, explained that it was not its cost, neither would another cup fill its place. It was the loss of this particular article, which came from the hands of a friend who had since died, that caused him grief.
"'Never mind, I say, whether you believe my words or not, I promise, and will make good that promise, that you shall again have your cup, and it shall be made of the same identical silver, having the same form, and being composed of nothing but the same metal. I don't mean the same kind, but the very same silver you dropped into that fluid.'
"And with this he took a few hand fulls of common salt, flung them into the liquid, and there formed in the solution a white solid; this he removed, dried and heated in a crucible, and the result was a lump of silver of the highest lustre.
"'Now, you see,' said the kind-hearted man, 'how easy it is to restore when you understand the method by which it is done. All the silver composing that cup of yours is now in my hands. How easy it is for me to have it remoulded in the same moulds! and who will say you have not the same cup resurrected from the grave?'
"Can you not understand," said Durant, "that this laborer was in the same condition as the poor mortals who are in painful ignorance of the way and means by which the resurrection will take place? And yet how simple when once understood. The cup had been buried in that world of liquid, it had dissolved and had been scattered throughout the world in which it was buried, and to a person unacquainted with the laws governing such things, was lost forever. If man, who is as a babe compared with God in intelligence, could resurrect a cup from that little world, do you not think it possible for God, who is the fountain-head of intelligence and power, to restore your body after it has been scattered through out this little world of ours? And as the restoring of that cup appeared very simple to that laboring man, so I believe the resurrection of the body will appear very simple to us when we are on the other side, and fully understand the laws, methods and powers which govern the restoration."
At this moment a Mr. Williams, who had been a very attentive listener during the entire evening, arose and said: "Mr. Durant, to all appearances you have proved every argument made with some quotation from the Bible; your mode of reasoning appears very logical, but I have here a passage which seems to conflict with the argument that baptism is positively essential to salvation."
"If so," answered the Elder, "I will be pleased to listen. Really, if you have found an argument, from the sayings of Christ or His apostles, which promises salvation without baptism, you have certainly made a great discovery."
"Well, I think the discovery has been made," answered Williams, "and it seems strange that a gentleman who has made the Bible as much of a study as you have, has never been able to comprehend it."
"Thanks, but now for the argument; do not build your hopes too high, perhaps you misunderstand your own reading of the Sacred Record."
"Well, that remains to be seen. You have disclaimed all belief in death-bed repentance bringing salvation, and you are, as well, a disbeliever in salvation without baptism. Now to the law and the testimony once more. Examine the account of the crucifixion, as recorded in Luke 23rd chapter, beginning with the 39th verse. Christ upon that occasion had a male factor on either side of Him; one railed on Him saying, 'If though be Christ, save thyself and us,' while the other, being filled with repentance and being converted, rebuked his companion in sin and implored the blessed Redeemer: 'Lord remember me when thou comest to thy kingdom.' Christ, witnessing the repentance of this malefactor, even at the last moment of his life, presented him with the gift of salvation before giving up the ghost: 'Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.' These were the words used by the Captain of our salvation; the promise was granted without baptism, and he was carried to heaven with our Savior; and yet in the very face of this testimony you proclaim the doctrine that without baptism salvation cannot be obtained."
"Christ did not offer that malefactor salvation on that occasion, neither was he carried to heaven with the Redeemer. I desire to convince you, Mr. Williams, if you will accept the statement in the Bible, and I believe you will, that Christ did not go to His Father until some time after this, and that the paradise referred to is not the haven of salvation that we all hope to reach."
"Mr. Durant, if you convince me of this, I will have nothing more to say," replied Mr. Williams.
"Very well, then, pay strict attention to the words you have just quoted which contain the promise that in your opinion insures the penitent malefactor entrance to the presence of the Father: 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Three days after these words were spoken, we discover Mary weeping as she bowed down at the sepulcher where Christ's remains had been deposited, and upon recognizing her Lord, who stood by her side and addressed her, she received this command, 'Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.' Rather a strange and startling declaration for the Savior to make, was it not, when the promise to the thief, made three days previously was to the effect that upon that day they should both be in His presence?"
"Why, Mr. Durant," exclaimed Claire, "I can't understand it at all; He did certainly make the promise, and yet from His words, spoken three days after, it appears that He had not yet been to His Father. Can it be that one of our Savior's promises has really fallen to the ground unfulfilled?"
"Not in the least, Mrs. Sutherland; it is merely another one of those cases where we read but fail to understand. 'The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life,' you know. Christ kept His word with the malefactor, and He also spoke truthfully to Mary. He and the sinner undoubtedly went on the day mentioned to paradise, but the great mistake, made by many, lies in believing that paradise is heaven."
"Well, if paradise is not heaven, what is it? If they went to some other place, where is that place?" exclaimed Mr. Williams. "I believe it was heaven."
"I do not doubt your statement for a moment. Prof. A. Hindercoper, a German writer, says: 'In the second and third centuries every branch and division of the Christian church, so far as their records enable us to judge, believed that Christ preached to the departed spirits.' This is in harmony with the belief of the Latter-day Saints, as well as in harmony with the Bible. Peter speaking upon this subject answers your question by saying: 'For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometimes were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.' Christ undoubtedly understood that His mission would not end with His crucifixion, but as He finished His mission to mortals by opening to them the gospel gates, it would be the beginning of His mission, for a similar purpose, with those on the other side of the vail, and realizing that His mission there would begin immediately upon His release here, and that the malefactor would meet him there, He made the promise mentioned: 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Peter declares that they were visited and preached to in order that they might be judged according to man in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (I. Peter iv: 6.) Bishop Alford, speaking of the declaration made by the chief apostle, said: 'I understand these words (I. Peter iii: 19) to say that our Lord in his disembodied state, did go to the place of detention of departed spirits, and did there announce his work of redemption; preach salvation in fact, to the disembodied spirits of those who refused to obey the voice of God when the judgment of the flood was hanging over them."
"That seems reasonable, and it has given me a pew idea and something to consider," said Williams, "but how about the ordinances you claim are necessary for all? How can those who did not hear the gospel before they died, receive the ordinances?"
"Now we believe that those who embraced the gospel in the spirit world will be saved; and believe with the scriptures that a vicarious work must be performed for them by the living. This doctrine was evidently understood by the saints in the days of the apostles. Paul informs us that the first gospel ordinance of all dispensations, baptism, was administered by proxy among the former-day Saints. While teaching the Corinthian saints about the resurrection, (I Cor. xv: 29) he asks them: 'Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?' in other words, of what use is baptism for the dead, if there is no resurrection? showing that the doctrine of baptism for the dead was evidently neither new nor strange to the people to whom the apostle was writing. Christ died for the dead as well as the living: "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living." (Rom. xiv: 9.)
"But do you mean that living persons shall be baptized for the dead?"
"Certainly. Before the great day of the Lord shall come 'that shall burn as an oven, and when all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch,' (Mal. iv: 1,) an important event is to take place, as we learn from the same prophet, verses 5 and 6: 'Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.' The coming of Elijah, to inaugurate this great work must evidently be to some one who is prepared to receive him. His mission, 'to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers' is very comprehensive, and pertains to the whole family of Adam, there being no discrimination between the living and the dead, between those who have lived in the past and those who shall live in the future. There must be a welding link between the fathers and their children, and that welding link is baptism for the dead. We testify that Elijah has come; that he appeared to Joseph, the seer, and Oliver Cowdery, in the Kirtland Temple, on the 3rd of April, 1836, and said: 'Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.' Ordinances for the salvation of the dead require temples, or sacred places, especially constructed for their administration; for this reason, we build temples, and also, that we may perform other ordinances for the dead and the living."
"I have heard that the organization of your Church is unusually complete. How is it organized?" asked one of the visitors present.
"It is organized on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets. We have therefore various quorums of these in the Church organized by revelation for the efficient and harmonious performance of church duties. There is the First Presidency, chosen from those who hold the High Priesthood and Apostleship, consisting of a President and two counsellors. The duty of the President is to preside over the whole Church, and he is sustained by the whole people as a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet."
"What is meant by Priesthood? You must have two Priesthoods then, as you speak of the High Priesthood, indicating there must be a lower one?"
"The Church is governed by the Holy Priesthood, which is divided into two grand heads the Aaronic or lesser and the Melchisedek or higher.
"The Melchisedek Priesthood, so called because Melchisedek was such a great High Priest, and also to avoid the too frequent use of Jehovah's name, as this Priesthood was formerly called after the order of His Son,—holds the right of presidency, to receive revelations from heaven and to enjoy the spiritual blessings; while the Aaronic Priesthood, so called because it was conferred upon Aaron and his seed forever, holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in the outward ordinances of the Church. The offices of the Melchisedek Priesthood include Apostles, Seventies, Patriarchs or Evangelists, and Elders, and the Aaronic Priesthood includes Bishops, Priests, Teachers and Deacons.
"Next to the quorum of the First Presidency is the Twelve Apostles, then the High Council, the Seventies, the High Priests, the Elders, and the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood.
"Each calling has its own duties to be performed, and the organization is such that one does not come in conflict with the other."
The company now parted for the evening, each hoping that an opportunity might be given to hear the Elder again.
A BAPTISM AND A CONVERSATION ON MARRIAGE.
It will be remembered that on the evening of Mr. Durant's speech in the Town Hall at Westminster, an old lady came to him at the close of the meeting and whispered a "God bless you" to him. The truths uttered by him had made a deep impression upon her and were working to bear fruit. She had now made application to be baptized, convinced, as she was, of the truths of the gospel, and that this servant of God was authorized, by direct calling from Him through revelation, to perform the solemn ceremony. It was agreed, therefore, that the baptism should take place on an afternoon some time before the day of his departure to his home in the West.
He made it a point to obtain a conversation with the lady, and show to her the importance of the step she was about to take. It is no simple or indifferent affair. It is a contract with God, fraught with wonderful results, to the person who makes it, that will either lead to rich blessings or to condemnation. When one man makes a contract with another, the breaker of such a contract must be willing to suffer the ignominy attending his deceit. In baptism, the subject makes a solemn vow with his Creator, and, rising from the waters in which he is buried in the likeness of the death of Christ, he should thenceforth walk in newness of life, and should not serve sin. He is made free from sin, and becomes a servant to God, he has his fruit unto holiness and the end is everlasting life. (Romans vi.)
The earnestness of the new convert's faith and repentance was inquired into, and it was pointed out to her that she should prepare herself to receive the testimony of the Spirit, which is made known to different individuals in different ways not always by unusual manifestations, but frequently by the calm self-consciousness of peace that comes from a performance of righteous acts, in which the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ. We must not look for approval from friends, relatives or people of the world, in taking this step, but be prepared to suffer with Christ that we may be also glorified with Him, and exclaim with Paul: "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Rom. viii: 18.) Like Christ, one must bear the cross upon the lone way, full of hope, confidence and zeal, knowing that the end is everlasting life.
Having said this much, and given many other incidental instructions, that would thoroughly impress the new convert with the sacredness and importance of the step about to be taken, Mr. Durant, members of the Marshall family, and a number of strangers, anxious to witness the ceremony, made their way, on a pleasant afternoon, to a beautiful wood where a stream wound its clear, slow waters in fantastic forms to empty into one of the large rivers. The autumn tints, the sun casting its warm influence to the earth through the gray atmosphere, the rustle of the wind in the falling leaves, and the beauty of nature all around, made the scene grand and romantic. Some who had gone along to make sport of the "Mormon baptism," were awed into strange silence by the beauty of the scene, and by the solemnity and scripture-like simplicity of the ceremony. After a word of prayer had been offered, in which Mr. Durant invoked the blessings of God upon the ordinance about to be performed, and asked that all disturbing spirits might be banished, he took the lady by the hand and waded with her out into the water, and, in the stillness which followed (those upon the shore unconsciously remaining uncovered), he was heard to say, as he held the old lady's hands in his left, and raised his right hand into the air: "Julia Howard, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
Then he immersed her in the water, and both came forth again out of the water.
The company soon dispersed, and upon arrival at her home, the new convert was confirmed, she preferring this to having that ordinance performed upon the water's edge, which is frequently done. Mr. Durant placed his hands upon her head, and by virtue of his calling and authority, confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, in the manner of the apostles of old, bestowed upon her the gift of the Holy Ghost which he promised should be a light to her all her days.
The Elder was about to leave, having welcomed the new member and congratulated her upon the step she had taken, when he was somewhat surprised by a remark she made in which she expressed a desire to gather with the Saints.
The spirit of gathering had already rested upon her, and he explained to her the importance of this principle of the gospel. The Father desires that His children shall be gathered in unto one place where their hearts shall be prepared against the day when tribulation and desolation shall come upon the wicked. The Psalmist referred to this subject and exclaimed: "Gather my Saints together who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." (Ps. 1: 5.) Isaiah, looking to the future, saw that in the last days the mountain of the Lord's house should be established in the tops of the mountains to which all nations should go. (Isaiah ii: 2.) Here the Lord was to give them one heart, and make an everlasting covenant with them. (Isaiah xxxii: 37-44.) And in that day the Lord should set His hand again the second time to recover the remnants of His people. (Isaiah xi: 11-16.) John, the revelator, saw this time, and heard a voice from heaven saying: "Come out of her [Babylon] my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. xviii: 4.) It was, therefore, in strict accordance with the scriptures that she should have the desire to gather, as well as that the Saints should have an assembling place where they might learn to walk in the paths of God more strictly than in the world. There are ordinances, too, to be performed in the holy temples, for the living and the dead, that cannot be done elsewhere. It is not well, however, that this act of gathering should be considered thoughtlessly and in haste, but rather with deliberation and careful forethought.
In the conversation, Elder Durant had incidentally remarked, that marriage was not only for time but also for all eternity. The newly wedded couple, Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, who had remained to witness the confirmation, were naturally interested in this, and the subject was further inquired into by them.
"What is the belief of the Latter-day Saints in relation to marriage?" said Mr. Sutherland.
"We believe," said Durant, "that marriage is ordained of God, and is binding for eternity, when properly performed by a servant of God having authority."
"Then it would appear that you believe in the family relation continuing throughout eternity?"
"Certainly, why not? Everything that is done by the Lord receives the impress of eternity. That being the case, marriage, being sanctioned and ordained of Him, is also eternal if performed by one having power as the ancient apostles had, to bind on earth and it should be bound in heaven. It then becomes a work of God, and, as the Preacher exclaims: 'I know that whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it.' (Eccles. iii: 14.) Can you think of anything more comforting than that the loving ties formed in this world are to endure through out the ages of eternity?"
"It is certainly more pleasant than to dwell upon a union that shall last only 'till death do you part;' but what proofs have you that your view of the matter is correct?"
"In the first marriage that was ever performed, when the Creator joined together Adam and Eve as the parents of the human race, we have no record of its being done to last only 'till death do you part,' and we do not learn that He set any limit to the continuance of their marriage relations. Why should we doubt that the gift of Eve to Adam, was designed to be eternal? They were married before the Fall, before death came into the world. They were eternal beings not subject to death; death was not considered when God gave her to be his companion and helpmeet. Why then should we conclude that death should void the contract or separate them any more than that it should destroy the spirit? If their spirits could be restored with resurrected bodies, why should not the eternal work of God in joining them as one remain unbroken? The whole second chapter of Genesis breathes the spirit of everlasting union between Adam and Eve. In the eighteenth verse we are told by the Lord that, 'it is not good that the man should be alone.' Adam, the man, was created an eternal being, and when God said that it was not good for him to be alone, we must conclude it was not good that he should be alone in immortality; so the Lord gave him Eve for no particular period of his life, but evidently, as she was also an eternal being, to be his wife forever the union to last as long as they should last eternally."
"That seems reasonable, and it is a pleasant hope you have," said Claire.
"With us it is more than a hope; it is knowledge. There are other passages of scripture which bear upon the inseparable connection between man and wife, in marriage as ordained of God. Paul (Eph. v: 22) says: 'The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the Church.' Christ remains forever the head of the Church, and even so the husband remains the head of the wife eternally."
"What do you mean by saying 'in marriage as ordained of God?' Is not all marriage ordained of Him?" said Mr. Sutherland.
"By marriage as ordained of God, I mean marriage performed in the way He has appointed, by a man whom He has authorized to act in His stead. What man does of himself, without authority from God, must be like him limited to this life. Now, like the authority to baptize, this authority to marry in the way God has ordained, must come by revelation from Him, for no man can take these honors to himself. To find this authority, we must look for it among a people who believe in revelation, and not among churches who declare that the heavens are sealed, and that no further revelation is necessary."